It has begun... sunny day triggers first pollen blast of season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When the sunshine warmed us up this week, we should have known! As we were basking in the mild temperatures under the blue skies on Tuesday, trees all around the River City were gearing up to send plumes of pollen into the air.

I noticed a fine dusting of yellow pollen on my car after the noon show Tuesday. I checked our SnapJax page and yep -- pollen pictures were starting to pop up everywhere. I reached for an allergy pill and sighed... Spring pollen season has begun.

According to Allergy and Asthma Specialists of North Florida, our tree pollens are seasonal, generally beginning in February and stretching through May. Grass and weed pollen can persist year round, thanks to our mild climate.

The good news? We have showers in the forecast Wednesday and increasing chances for rain on Thursday. Rain can clear the air from the problematic pollen, but high winds associated with storms can hurt more than help.

The bad news? This is merely the beginning of our Spring pollen season.